Ladies Who Wait - Off The Wall Productions (17 August 2023)

My apologies King Henry VIII but the zeitgeist has well and truly turned against you. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is elevating her to global icon status; Barbie is girlbossing the box office with Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie's stars on the ascendancy; and the Matildas have captivated the hearts of a nation. No time for your beheading histrionics, Your Majesty! And so it is with the original black comedy Ladies Who Wait where Henry is but a painting on the wall as three of his wives, two of his offspring, and the most unlikely duo of ladies-in-waiting take centre stage.   

Playwright Yvette Wall has taken what started life as a 10 minute short play and developed it into a full two act production which is to be commended. I can't say that it entirely worked for me as the humour is very broad, however, there are elements that I enjoyed and with further tweaks the play will continue to evolve. 

There's a nice premise here - two Baldrickesque figures are foisted on, firstly, Anne Boleyn (Emily Howe) the day before her execution and, some twenty years later, they attend to Queen Mary 1 (Jennifer McGrath) who struggles to give fake birth to a fake baby (fake news!). Along the way they are assailed by the ghost of Catherine of Aragon (McGrath), and visited by Jane Seymour and later Lady Elizabeth, soon to be Queen Elizabeth I, both played by Maree Cole. Oh, and there's the Ken of his day, the guard Roger (David Wall) who, on occasion, shuffles in and out mostly bewildered by antics far above his pay grade.  

Which is where a lot of the comedy is generated as our two presumptive heroines Alice (Colleen Bradford) and Agnes (Fiona Forster) play lowly commoners who by happenstance come to be in the presence of royalty with all its politics, pretence, and false grandeur. Nothing like a sharp tongue and tart retort to burst the bubble of the high and mighty. 

There's no doubt Bradford and Forster work exceedingly hard to generate laughs but it felt somewhat hit and miss for mine with a bit too much repetition. There are plenty of crass gags, fart jokes, modern slang, swearing for shock value, and a fair amount of shrieking. They bounce off each other well - Forster with such an expressive face and Bradford playing it a little more slyly - but it's so over-the-top at times that I wanted some introspection or quieter moments of astute observation. More dagger than cudgel or, in the vernacular of the play, more long sword than blunt axe. I did like their old age make-up, wig, and costumes in the second act which were quite striking and sold the time difference well. 

Emily Howe gives her Anne Boleyn a suitably regal air which is aided immeasurably by a clear, theatrical voice which I was quite struck by as the play begins. She plays it mostly straightlaced until Anne is cajoled by her ladies-in-waiting to give the baying crowd some what for. 

Jennifer McGrath is given free rein by director Gino Cataldo to play both Catherine and Mary as larger-than-life figures - the former as a haughty Spanish ghost with an impressive monobrow; the latter as overly needy and whiny. Again, with Agnes, Alice and Catherine/Mary all pitched at such heightened levels the play can be overwhelming, especially if you're sitting in the front row where you're only a metre away from the screeching at times.

Then there's Maree Cole who shines in both her roles with an eye-opening transition from her oblivious Jane Seymour in the first act to the practical and forthright Elizabeth in the second. Cole brings a lovely, light touch to Jane which makes the character instantly likeable and supplies the variation in comic delivery that was welcomed. It's her Elizabeth though that is a standout and changes the dynamic of the production. I loved the robust costume which reinforced the sheer competence and, well, Protestant nature of Elizabeth who calls out her half-sister's nonsense as Mary pretends to give birth. 

There's a stretch when things settle down and Elizabeth and Mary engage in a truly dramatic exchange that caught my attention. This encapsulates what is a pivotal moment in British history as the half-sisters - one Protestant, the other Catholic - battle for the soul of their nation. It's the highlight of the play for mine, in terms of performance and the potential for developing the premise further.

All that's left is for our heroines to enjoy their strawberries and wine as Elizabeth departs to become another global icon for the ages.

Mentions to lighting designer Virginia Moore Price for the nice flourish accentuating moments of suggested violence; the costumes from Hustle and Bustle Costumes and Colleen Bradford; the set artwork of Ursula Kotara, in particular the paintings of Henry and (amusedly altered) Catherine; and it's an unusually classy program by White Mouse Design. 

The play runs until 26 August in the Studio space at the Subiaco Arts Centre. In heartening news for an independent production of an original script it is sold out for the rest of its run.  

A Chorus Line - Drew Anthony Creative (4 August 2023)

The key element to the theatregoing experience for me is how a show makes you feel. Does it move you, make you laugh or cry or both. Maybe it's thought provoking or confronting. Oftentimes it could simply be entertaining in a toe tapping, sit back and relax kind of way. How we respond to a production also depends on what we bring to the table. Our mood, our life experiences, whatever happens to be rattling around in our brain at the time. Then there's that ingredient that I always crave in a live performance of any kind - that moment of magic you weren't expecting and didn't see coming that plasters a grin all over your face.

I say all this because opening night of A Chorus Line made me feel so damn comfortable. Not because the seats at the Theatre Royale are so comfy (they are) or that the venue is ideal for an intimate viewing experience (it is) but because I immediately knew that I was in good hands. Trying to put it into words in the lobby after the show I equated it to sitting at home watching a prestige television series where you simply know that everything is going to be first rate and reward your attention. It was and it did. Then there's this - there's not one but TWO moments of magic that had me tingling with joy in a way only theatre can make you feel. More on that later.

It's easy to see why A Chorus Line was the longest running show on Broadway until toppled by a bunch of spandex clad felines getting all jellicle about, um, jellicle things. It's a brilliantly written and constructed piece of theatre that won a truckload of Tony Awards and a rare Pulitzer Prize. It's also, surprisingly and delightfully, a fully blown character study... of some 17 characters! Those characters are dancers auditioning for a director to be in, you guessed it, the chorus of an upcoming Broadway production. 

This adds a whole other 'behind-the-scenes' layer that theatre lovers will recognise and appreciate. I felt like I just happened to be in that 'room' sitting in on the auditions. I'll admit, especially in the latter stages, that discussions in song and dialogue about being an artist, needing a gig, handling rejection, worrying about what happens next all hit hard based on my own recent and ongoing experiences as a screenwriter. There's a truth here will resonate with anyone undertaking a creative endeavour. It's a potent cocktail.

The show starts before you really kind of realise it as performers slowly make their way to the stage and do warmups. The thing that immediately struck me was the camaraderie on display. Then G Madison IV makes his entrance as the director Zach with a commanding voice that had a lady sitting near me exclaim "Oh!" and sit bolt upright. That voice and his physical presence are immediately captivating. I believe he is the demanding director who will brook no argument and I witness the cast believe it too. Madison spends a large portion of the show behind us in the top deck of the theatre somewhere so the power of his voice is critical to hold us and the cast in thrall.   

It's here that I should mention the sound design and quality. It is impeccable. Every lyric, every line of dialogue is crisp and easily discerned. The balance with the backing music is spot on; both vocals and score in perfect harmony. Kudos to Jordan Gibbs (Audio Design/Operator), Josh Mills (Audio Operator) and Music Supervisor Joe Louis Robinson. 

We quickly get to the character study of it all as the director asks each character to tell him/us something about themselves. The creative way this is handled in the writing, the staging by actual director Drew Anthony, in costuming choices (Dani Paxton), and by the performers is quite glorious. Based on real life interviews with performers as the show was being conceived there is, again, a ring of authenticity about these tales, from childhood memories to adult musings. They're funny, shocking, tragic, poignant, and in many ways, totally relatable. This is enhanced by how they're delivered - in song, in dance, in dialogue, or a mix of all three. Each character is sharply drawn and delineated and we get to know them quickly which is no mean feat in such a big cast. 

Highlights, in a show full of them, include Ethan Churchill dancing up a storm as his Mike describes how he first became involved with dance (I Can Do That); the trio of Elethea Sartorelli (Sheila), Emma Haines (Maggie), and Ciara Taylor (Bebe) giving a powerful vocal rendition of At The Ballet; Rosemary Spelman (Kristine) and Jamie Papanicolaou (Al) showcasing exquisite timing in the very clever Sing!; Will Basson (Mark) bringing the funny with Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love; and Lucy Goodrick, all swagger and attitude as her Val recounts a transformation from afterthought to success with a not so little enhancement in Dance: Ten; Looks: Three.

The show then does something really interesting as it narrows its focus to the major dramatic conflict of the piece between Zach and Cassie (Morgan Cowling) who attempt to work through their differences before Cowling launches into dance and song with another highlight, The Music and The Mirror. The acting is impressive by both, indeed this is a true triple threat show. The singing is excellent across the board (Glenn Hogue, Vocal Director) and the dance numbers are nicely calibrated from the 'learning' phase to rehearsing to full blown, slick production number at the finale. There's everything from tap to classic Broadway chutzpah, hats and all, which is always fun to watch with a massed cast onstage. Terrific work by Choreographer Jessica Ashton and Assistant Elysha Atwell. 

Which gets us to our first piece of magic. The audacity to stop and deliver a long, affecting monologue by youngster Zak Bresland as Paul. Earlier I had silently wished the spot operator would shine a little light my way so I could check the program to work out who was playing Paul after I thought to myself "Who the hell is that!" after an impressive piece of singing. He may be too young, ideally, to be playing the role but he nails a harrowing tale that slowly builds to an emotional outburst and holds the stage, alone, for several minutes. That's no small feat. I also liked the softening of Zach's character in response and at a later incident regarding Paul.    

The second piece of magic is kicked off by Sophie Psaila-Savona whose feisty Diana tackles perhaps the most well-known song from A Chorus Line, What I Did For Love. It's what happens next that I didn't expect (and won't spoil here) that is one of the reasons I love going to the theatre. When I twigged to how Anthony was staging this showpiece number I literally did grin from ear to ear. A fitting high point for the production and all involved. All that's left is to bring out the glitz and glamour as the cast take their bows to the reprise of that other famous number, One.  

The set design is simple - bare stage and a projected back screen to denote the space - which keeps the focus, rightfully, on the performers. Lighting Design by Luke Scatchard highlights the ensemble and picks out individuals as appropriate before dazzling with the finale. 

There are so many small details that I loved - the "non-hat work" of Allen Blachford (Bobby), himself an award winning choreographer; his by-play with Sartorelli which is imbued with a history of many performances together; the subtle digs and blocking between characters as unstated rivalries play out; and so on. It is a true ensemble piece so mention must be given to the work of Jamie Rolton (Don), Greg Jarema (Greg), Lana Freeman (Judy), and Gemma Hanh (Connie) who added so much texture and life to their characters. 

This production has no interval which apparently surprised some but it flew by for me. I was in my comfort zone and they had me from the get go. A Chorus Line is on until 20 August at the Royale Theatre in Northbridge and is recommended for anyone who loves brilliantly written, staged and performed theatre.